PARAGON

  Hisui Incursion Arc [23]

  Chapter 75 : Winter Festival

  Hisui Region - Diamond Settlement

  “Owwwwww,” Ash groaned.

  “I’m not sure what you thought was going to happen.”

  Ash laid face down on his bed in the clinic as Riley applied yet another bath of Aura to him. His shirt was off and the Aura seeped into the cuts across his back with painful stings. Just as they’d begun to close up, he’d gone and reopened nearly all of them.

  “Our fingers are getting tired, boy!” one of his nurses snapped from behind a white cloth tied around her face. She was an elderly lady and had administered most of his treatment. “Next time those gashes open, you can stitch them up again yourself!” She huffed and strode out.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Ash mumbled. “It worked, though.”

  He glanced up at Riley and saw the man smirk.

  “Sabrina is alive and well,” Riley said. “And still in the north.”

  “I need to hurry up and get better,” Ash said. “We need to get back to the others as soon as possible.”

  “Careful, Ash.”

  “I know, I know. But my body—“

  “I wasn’t talking about your body.” Riley lowered his hands and his Aura faded as he completed the treatment. “All we know is that Sabrina is in the north. There’s no reason to assume any of the others are with her. That would be wishful thinking. I mean, look at where we ended up.”

  Ash suppressed his distaste at Riley’s sober assessment. Obviously he knew that, but he wanted to believe that Sabrina wasn’t alone, in the same way that they weren’t. “Even if they’re not with her, if any of them are nearby, they will have seen it and gone to her.”

  “Let’s hope that’s the case. With Hisui as it is now, solitude can be fatal.”

  Ash slowly sat up, careful to tax his body as little as possible, especially where his wounds were the worst. “You’re just a ball of optimism, aren’t you?”

  “Sorry,” Riley smiled. “No more of that, I promise.” He collapsed into a chair beside Ash’s bed.

  He didn’t appear fatigued at first glance but Ash knew him well enough to know that the excessive Aura treatments were slowly draining him, and he felt a pang of guilt. “I was thinking of starting my training again later today. You don’t have to supervise, I promise I won’t do anything crazy this time.”

  “As comforting as that is, crazy is what you need to do if you want to grow at all.” Riley smirked at him. “You’ll never level up just grinding low level slimes.”

  Ash cocked his head to the side. “What’s that mean?”

  Riley frowned. “Grinding? Like in a video game? You’ve never heard of that?”

  Ash shook his head.

  “It’s like…repeating a menial task to become stronger.” He itched his neck. “I feel silly explaining this to you. You’re younger than me, you’re supposed to know these things.”

  Ash chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t really play video games as a kid.”

  “Probably for the best,” Riley shrugged. “You may never have become the trainer you are today if you had.”

  “You think so?”

  “Oh, yes. I’d probably be the King of the Guardians right now, but unfortunately, my parents bought a desktop when I was three and sadly, my potential died on the vine right there.”

  “Very humble,” Ash smirked.

  “Oh, I try to be, but my exorbitant talent makes it difficult.”

  Ash and Riley shared a laugh, though Ash had to force himself to stop before putting too much undue strain on his body.

  It’d been three days since Ash had cast his beacon into the sky and though he hadn’t gotten his hopes up too high to begin with, none of the others had rejoined them at the Diamond Settlement since then. That was another reason he wanted to believe they were still in the Icelands with Sabrina. And as much as he wanted to depart right this second now that he knew where she was, he knew better than most the sort of energy that was needed for such a journey. After traveling across so many different regions, he’d come to know his limits. Barring any other bouts of spontaneity, he figured it’d be at least a few more days, or probably even a bit longer, ideally, before he was healthy enough to travel.

  “If you’re serious about training, I’ll walk you over to Rei’s training grounds,” Riley said, offering a hand. “I know he’s expressed an interest in helping you, whenever you believe you’re ready.”

  “I think I’ll take you both up on that, thanks,” Ash said, swinging his legs onto the floor and taking Riley’s hand.

  Four days later, at the end of the week, Ash found himself in an unexpected situation. As night fell upon the now-cold Diamond Settlement, the streets and squares glowed with the excitement of the Diamond Clan’s annual New Year’s festival. Despite his wounds, he’d been forced into a navy yukata alongside Riley and Rei, and turned out into the lively fervor by his nurses.

  “Get some fresh air!” they’d said.

  Ash was happy to oblige.

  Hisui Region - Pearl Settlement

  “Candy! Chicken! Fruit!”

  Yura’s eyes flashed as she raced through the crowd, weaving between legs as she bulleted between the various stalls. The smell of sugar and smoke filled the air, blanketing the festival in a warm vibe as people of all ages enjoyed food and company.

  “Wait, Yura!” Akari said, lunging toward her, but she missed, and Yura disappeared between two people. Akari sighed and relented, slowing back to Sabrina’s side. “I hope she doesn’t get lost…”

  Sabrina smiled. “She’ll be fine. I can find her wherever she goes.”

  “You’re using your powers again?” Akari asked with concern.

  Sabrina shook her head. “Not really. But we’ve spent enough time together that I’m conscious of her even without them.”

  After the stunt she’d pulled a week ago, Sabrina had been assaulted by a deluge of migraines. She could barely even function the first couple days after she’d unleashed that beacon, and even when she was resting, her limiter spiraled around her wrist, fighting to keep her power in check. It was only yesterday that she’d actually begun to feel better, and luckily, her headaches had subsided enough that she could walk around the festival now. Using her powers was utterly out of the question, and any sharp movements made her nauseous.

  But now, after the tender care provided by the Pearl Clan’s nurses, and the constant presence and fussing of Yura and Akari, Sabrina found herself well enough to enjoy the festival they’d been invited to. All three girls were clothed in deep crimson yukatas and lavender scarves to stave off the winter cold. By Irida’s order, all three girls’ hair were braided and adorned with spider lilies.

  They found Yura at a booth where a man was handing her a candy apple, glistening a deep ruby, and Yura’s eyes sparkled as she accepted it.

  “Oh, let me pay for that,” Akari surged ahead, digging in her yukata for the small pouch of money Irida had given them.

  “Oh, no need, young lady! I couldn’t possibly take money from one of Leader Irida’s guests! Please just enjoy the festival!”

  Yura bowed in thanks several times before turning back to the others, holding her candy apple like it was treasure. She crunched through the apple’s surface, and her face lit up, flecks of red sugar around her mouth. “So sweet!”

  Sabrina smiled. A candy apple that sweet was probably far too stimulating for her right now, but it nourished her in a different way to see Yura enjoying herself.

  “I wish I could give Shieldon some though…”

  Like the Sanctuary, the Pearl Settlement was strict about pokémon. They could not roam the streets under any circumstances without the approval of one of the Pearl Clan’s leaders.

  “Hmmm, I wonder if we could let him out if we find somewhere a bit quieter,” Akari said. “He’s pretty well-behaved. I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem.”

  Growlithe, too, hadn’t seen much of the outside world since they’d arrived at the Pearl Settlement. He was probably also eager to stretch his legs, though releasing him without Rei around to command him was questionable.

  “Hmmmghhhg!” Yura groaned, seemingly torn between two decisions. She held her half-eaten candy apple out beside her. “Let’s explore some more first! Then I’ll let him out!”

  “That fine with you?” Akari asked Sabrina.

  Sabrina nodded. “Yeah. I’d like to see more of the festival too.”

  Saffron City held festivals similar to this in the summer, and all kinds of other events year round, but Sabrina never bothered attending. Beyond not having anyone else to go with, they were always such loud affairs, with so many people too. Yet, Sabrina was strangely comforted with her friends at her side now, despite the throng of people around them. It was easier to blend into the crowd and enjoy the present when she wasn’t agonizing over her loneliness.

  They walked around the festival for another half hour or so, flitting between booths, Yura leading the way. Sabrina kept her senses peeled for any signs of Gaeric, though they never ended up running into him, thankfully. A conversation with him alone would probably be enough to give Sabrina a migraine.

  Eventually, they found a quiet spot away from the action: a stone bench beneath an icy willow that overlooked the festival from atop a hill. Torches burned beside them, illuminating the nighttime street and keeping them warm.

  “Okay, I’m doing it!” Yura said, and she promptly released Shieldon into the snow at her feet after glancing around to make sure no one else was around.

  He appeared in a stoic silence as always, but he did lurch back as Yura thrust the candy apple in his face.

  “Here! Try this, Shieldon!”

  He approached it carefully and offered a few licks, seemingly to satisfy his master, but gave no reaction, positive or negative.

  “See? I knew you’d like it!”

  Sabrina smiled as Yura giggled to herself.

  “Mind if I join you?”

  Before Sabrina could even turn her head, Irida seemed to materialize out of nowhere and smushed herself up against them on the bench. Like them, she wore a deep crimson yukata, but her face glimmered with makeup.

  “Ah! Sorry! I’ll return him now!” Yura said, reaching for her pokéball.

  “Nah, don’t worry about it, you can keep him out,” Irida said. “Who is this little guy? Don’t think I’ve ever seen a pokémon like that.”

  “It’s…Shieldon,” Yura said timidly.

  “Well met, Shieldon,” she said, giving him a nod. Then, she leaned over and studied the other girls on the bench. “You all look nice. I’m glad you decided to come to the festival tonight.”

  Did we really have a choice? “Thank you for inviting us,” Sabrina said, her face hot from the compliment. “It was…fun.”

  “Well, the night’s still young. You’re not planning on turning in early, are you?” Her eyes twinkled and her eyebrow drooped curiously.

  Actually… Sabrina chuckled nervously, wondering if her health was a good enough excuse to excuse herself early.

  “Hey, Miss Irida, what are you doing up here anyway,” Akari asked after swallowing a bite of chicken, and Sabrina was thankful for the interruption. “Everyone must be looking for you back at the festival, right?”

  Irida sighed. “Even I need some quiet time too. I’ve been running around all day. You don’t mind, do you?”

  Akari shook her head. “I’ve been meaning to thank you…for everything you’ve done for us since we arrived, and even before that. So…thank you.”

  “Don’t worry about that, you’ll embarrass me,” Irida grinned. “I’m glad you don’t seem as disappointed as you were before.”

  Disappointed.

  Yes, that was certainly an accurate term to describe their expressions after hearing the name of the “man in the north” they’d been after all this time.

  It wasn’t Sir Aaron, but some guy called Raphael.

  Who the hell was that?!

  Sabrina wasn’t even sure if he was worth paying a visit anymore. If it wasn’t clear enough already, traversing the wormhole from whence they’d come would be their only way back home. That lead had been provided by Volo to begin with so maybe they shouldn’t have had such high hopes for it, in hindsight, but he hadn’t been lying about that, at least. There was technically a man from overseas up here. Just not the one they wanted.

  Irida’s smile faded. “Are you alright, Akari?”

  Akari glanced at the others, then back at Irida. “Hm? Me? Yeah. Why?”

  Irida’s eyes narrowed. “Hmmm. You just looked a bit down to me.”

  Sabrina flicked her eyes at Akari. Maybe I wasn’t seeing things. Normally, she was good at reading others but she’d been off her game this past week, so despite noticing something off about Akari, she hadn’t been able to pinpoint exactly what. Irida is terrifying… She was able to see that from a glance, especially when it’s this dark out… And she’s known Akari for a fraction of the time I have… Of course, Sabrina could not bring herself to bring it up, nor could she determine what was actually wrong.

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  Irida’s eyes glinted mischievously. “I’m seeing a bit of loneliness, is that it?”

  “Loneliness?” Akari sputtered, her cheeks turning a harsh scarlet. “What are you talking about? I’m not alone.”

  “Not alone, but lonely all the same. Is there someone you wish was here with you tonight, enjoying the festival with you?”

  Sabrina blushed. Ah, so that’s why I couldn’t figure it out.

  “Wha?! No! I mean…of course, I want to rejoin with the rest of our team—“

  “What’s his name, Yura?” Irida interrupted.

  “Rei!” Yura said excitedly.

  “Rei…” Irida repeated, savoring the name.

  Akari covered her face with her hands and whimpered in embarrassment.

  “Oh, Rei, how foolish you were to leave poor Akari cold and alone for the festival!” Irida said dramatically, hugging herself. “What a waste, she looks so pretty too!”

  “So sad!” Yura wailed in agreement.

  Uagh… Sorry, Akari… Sabrina thought.

  Irida’s head jerked toward Sabrina and the two women locked eyes.

  Oh no.

  Sabrina was beginning to think the leader of the Pearl Clan possessed a level of perception that rivaled her own.

  A grin curled onto Irida’s face. “And what about you, Sabrina?” she asked, raising a brow.

  Sabrina coughed and cleared her throat. “U-Um, no. There’s nothing like that… Er, I’m not really…”

  “Yura?”

  This time, Yura shuffled nervously, her eyes flicking between the two women, unsure if she should say anything. She glanced at Sabrina apologetically.

  Irida leaned back and eased the pressure off the young girl. “Not so talkative for Sabrina, huh? How loyal…”

  “Yura!” Akari squealed, sticking her cold fingers against the girl’s neck for betraying her and not Sabrina, and Yura giggled.

  Ignoring them, Irida kept pressing on Sabrina. “No man in your life right now, huh?”

  “Er, u-um, no.” Not ever.

  “I find that hard to believe. You’re so pretty…”

  “U-Uhhh,” Sabrina stammered, her heart hammering in her chest. The winter cold had absolutely no effect on her right now.

  Finally, Irida relented and broke eye contact. “Well, if you say so,” she mused, almost to herself. “But if you can’t tell me anything about him, then how about you tell me something you can’t?”

  Sabrina deflated. “What?”

  Irida laughed. “Sorry. I meant, if you don’t want to tell me anything about this man, then how about telling me about something you’d like in a hypothetical man. You know, like your type. Your preference.”

  Why is she talking like it’s a foregone conclusion that there is someone like that?!

  Even Yura and Akari paused their horseplay to pay attention, and suddenly, Sabrina had three pairs of eyes on her.

  “I…”

  Every time his face drifted into her consciousness, she shoved it away. I can’t say anything about that! Yura and Akari will know!

  “I…I can’t,” she finally said, her face ruby red as her limiter whirled around her wrist.

  Irida smirked. “You can’t, huh?” She glanced back at Akari and Yura. “Apparently, she can’t say anything.” She leaned closer to them and covered her mouth like she was telling a secret. “It kind of sounds like she has someone in mind though, doesn’t it?”

  As Yura seemed to ponder the question, Akari nodded slowly. “It does kind of sound like that…” She stared at Sabrina, her eyes wide.

  “She kind of sounds like you, with your Rei, doesn’t she?” Irida said.

  “No!” Akari shouted, bolting back.

  “Akari’s Rei!” Yura giggled, earning herself more cold tickles from Akari.

  “Don’t you have more important things to attend to right now, Miss Irida?” Akari demanded while she accosted Yura.

  “Oh, not at all, my evening is completely open!” Irida smiled, leaning back and getting comfortable.

  “Wait, what about you?” Yura asked after she finally escaped from Akari, jabbing her finger at Irida. “Where’s your husband?”

  Irida turned to stone and buckled. “H-Husband…”

  “Yeah, what about you, Miss Irida?” Akari asked, seizing the opportunity, though her face was still bright red.

  Sabrina couldn’t help but laugh as Irida’s confidence crumbled to nothing beneath the girls’ questioning.

  “O-Oh. I just remembered. Gaeric asked for me earlier. I have to go. Good night.” Irida got up stiffly and started trudging away.

  “After her!” Yura declared, racing after the Pearl Clan’s leader.

  Irida turned and grinned as Yura and Akari gave chase through the snowy streets, back toward the festival.

  Shieldon remained by Sabrina’s side, now alone on the bench. Her limiter spun unceasingly around her wrist and hadn’t slowed at all since Irida had asked her about her…circumstances. She brought a cold hand to her face, and it almost immediately warmed up.

  Oh…

  Oh…come on…

  Her fingers tightened and her eyes narrowed in lovesick frustration.

  I love Ash.

  Hisui Region - Diamond Settlement

  “Mind if I join you gentlemen?”

  The wooden stairs creaked as Adaman paced up the steps of the clinic’s patio. He, like most of the Diamond Settlement’s residents, including Ash, Riley, and Rei, was clothed in a deep blue yukata. He held a large glass tankard in one hand and several mugs in the other.

  “Not at all,” Riley said, scooting his chair over to make room.

  The three of them were seated at a table and had been quietly enjoying some of the food they’d picked up from the stalls below.

  “Excellent.”

  Adaman grinned as he slid between Ash and Riley, and Ash caught a large noseful of his perfumes. “Strange place you three have picked to enjoy the festival. A clinic’s no place to be as we celebrate the new year.”

  Beyond the clinic, multi-colored stalls lined in torchlight sat upon the main road, people bustling between them.

  “Sorry, that’s my fault,” Ash said. “I told them I’d be fine but they insisted on keeping me company.”

  “We wouldn’t leave you by your lonesome on a night like this,” Riley said.

  “Yeah, and not like we really know anyone else here anyway,” Rei added.

  Adaman nodded. “Still recovering from impaling the heavens with your lightning, eh?”

  “Yeah, basically…”

  “Well, then my arrival was most opportune.” Adaman uncorked his tankard and poured the dark liquid within into the glasses he brought. “Here,” he said, pushing one toward Ash. “No medicine better than this east of Mount Coronet.”

  Ash glanced down at it warily. “What is it?”

  “A Diamond Clan specialty. The details aren’t important. Now, c’mon.” As if to prove its safety, Adaman took a swig of his own glass and sighed in satisfaction once he’d swallowed it.

  “I don’t know…” Ash began.

  “It’d be rude to refuse a gift from our benefactor, Ash,” Riley said with a smile.

  “Well, don’t let him have all the fun, Guardian. Have some yourself.” Adaman distributed the remaining glasses around the table. “You too.” He pushed a glass in front of Rei.

  “Uhhhh, I’m not old enough,” Rei said cautiously.

  “Oh, nonsense. You’re a member of the Survey Corps. A bit of wine goes a long way on your expeditions, or so I’ve heard.”

  Rei picked up his glass gingerly and stared at it. Seeing his determination, Ash swiped his own glass and downed a mouthful of it. He clamped his eyes shut as he swallowed. “That’s…interesting.”

  “You like?” Adaman’s eyes glimmered with curiosity.

  I can’t say it tastes like soil… “Yeah…I’m feeling better already.” He swallowed his burps and smiled weakly.

  Riley laughed and started on his own glass, and Ash saw him suppress similar reactions. Rei took a sip from his and immediately wrinkled his face.

  “Thanks…,” he mumbled.

  “Of course! At least now you’re all a bit more lively!” Adaman turned to Ash. “I was surprised, to say the least, when you cracked open the sky last week. For a moment, I thought it was the end of Hisui.”

  “Sorry about that,” Ash said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “I should’ve told you what I was gonna do first.”

  “I almost rallied the border force and sent a man up to Brava Arena to wake Noble Lilligent, but it turned out to be nothing, in the end. I was more surprised to learn you did that willingly, knowing Volo is after you. How did you know he wouldn’t descend on us after seeing that?”

  Ash’s gaze narrowed. “I didn’t know for sure. But he has no reason to. All he has to do is wait for us at the Temple of Sinnoh. He’ll be in control of all the variables there.”

  “I suppose,” Adaman said, burping. He looked Ash up and down, then pointed at him. “Seems the healing is going well either way. Those scars are shaping up to look pretty cool… I’m almost jealous…”

  Ash fingered his yukata. An array of white scars littered his chest, stomach, and back, crawling all the way up to the base of his neck. In his normal clothes, the scars just barely peeked out from beneath his collar. And though not as concentrated, the same scars spread across his arms and legs as well, hidden by his clothes.

  “And who do you have to thank for those scars?” Riley said, setting his glass down a little too hard. It was now about half empty. “Without me, those’d all be red and bloody still… Could’ve bleed…bled out.”

  Rei smirked.

  “Thank you, Riley,” Ash bowed, ignoring the Guardian’s drunkenness.

  Adaman pointed at Ash’s glass. “You’ve got some catching up to do.”

  As Ash took another drink, Adaman leaned back and crossed his leg. “Obviously, I know you well enough, but tell me about your superpowered friend in the north. The one who responded to your beacon with that purple lightning of their own.”

  Ash cracked a grin. “It wasn’t lightning. It was psychic energy.” He’d assumed Riley and Rei had explained everything while he was recovering in the clinic, but clearly not. “Her name’s Sabrina, and she’s a human psychic.”

  “Ah, a woman.”

  “Yeah, she… I hope she’s doing alright. That must have taxed her body just as much as mine… And she was injured to begin with…”

  “So were you though,” Rei commented. “Arguably, a lot worse.”

  That was true, but there was probably a qualitative difference between all the lacerations across his skin and one well-placed head injury, especially for a psychic whose head was of paramount importance in order to pull off such a feat.

  “I see,” Adaman nodded. “She sounds like quite the force of nature, just like yourself.” He turned to Rei. “Well, we’ve heard about Ash’s woman. What about you, Rei? Do you have a lady friend lost on the Hisuian frontiers too?”

  Ash blushed. “She’s not my woman.”

  Adaman frowned and glanced at Riley, but the Guardian already had his hand up, shaking his head. “Hm. Is that right?” His dark eyes sparkled in the night.

  Something about the way he said that rubbed Ash the wrong way. Adaman certainly seemed like the womanizing type, but then again, his smirk never left his face so Ash couldn’t really tell what he was thinking. He took another swig of his drink of his own volition, keeping his eyes on the Diamond Clan’s leader.

  “So, Rei? What about you?”

  “Oh, me?” Rei smiled nervously. “Haah…well, actually there’s this girl I’ve been interested in.”

  Ash raised a brow. He didn’t expect Rei to be so honest.

  Adaman grinned and leaned forward. “And who’s the lucky lady?”

  “I mean…I c-can’t say,” Rei sputtered, his confidence evaporating beneath Adaman’s serpentine gaze.

  “She must be with your friend Sabrina in the north right now, huh? Perhaps they’re over at the Pearl Settlement together. And if they are, they may be enjoying a festival just like this one, right now as we speak.” Adaman turned a simper at Rei. “I can’t imagine how lonely a young woman like her feels at a time like this.”

  “W-What do you mean? It’s like you said. She’s probably with Sabrina…”

  Ash watched Rei weather Adaman’s onslaught with amusement. He may have been dense in the past, but even he could tell what was going on between Rei and Akari. Honestly, watching them as a third party made him realize just how blind he’d been to some of his female friends’ advances in the past. It was a bit embarrassing, in hindsight.

  “You have much to learn, young Rei,” Adaman said coldly. “All women desire a man at their side on nights like this.”

  Riley nodded sagely, less than a quarter of his glass left.

  “Man at her side,” Rei mumbled. “What…?”

  Adaman threw his head back and laughed. “Sorry, maybe it’s still a bit too early for you. At the very least, I’d recommend perusing the festival a bit more and picking out a gift for her. A woman wilts when she realizes a man has been thinking about her even when she’s not at his side. A gift from one of the Diamond Clan’s splendid vendors would be the cherry atop your romantic reunion!”

  Rei turned an even deeper shade of red and his face twitched as he processed what Adaman was saying. “Y-Yeah, that’s a good idea, actually. I think I will take a look around.” He took another sip of his drink, probably more to hide his face than because he actually liked it.

  “I’ll go with you…” Riley said, his words slurring. He lurched to his feet and Ash raised a hand to steady him. “I gotta…get…something…”

  Rei caught him before he could fall over. “Sorry, Ash. We’ll be back later. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him.”

  “The Diamond Clan’s finest claims another victim!” Adaman grinned, raising his glass.

  Ash waved to them as they departed. “Have fun, guys! Don’t worry about me!”

  Rei waved back as he carefully guided Riley down the stairs, and they soon disappeared into the throng below.

  “That’s quite a spirited friend you have there,” Adaman said once they’d gone.

  “Yeah, he’s normally pretty serious. This is new for me too, seeing this side of him,” Ash smiled.

  This late at night, the Crimson Mirelands managed to respect the winter season enough to get a bit chilly, and thankfully, it wasn’t humid like it was during the day. Frost and embers alike drifted through air, buzzing above the raucous excitement of the festival. The thrum of laughter and children playing vibrated the patio beneath them.

  “Adaman,” Ash said.

  The Diamond Clan’s leader turned to him.

  “How do you bear the weight of responsibility for the entire Diamond Clan, knowing that your strength alone makes the difference between the life and death of so many people?”

  For the first time since he’d met him, Ash saw Adaman’s smirk disappear. The man put his glass down.

  “The answer is, I don’t.” Adaman met Ash’s eyes. “I may lead the Diamond Clan, but I’d never presume to say my strength alone is what protects my people. It takes countless others at my side to keep danger at bay. As a trainer, surely you understand that. It is your pokémon partners that imbue you, the trainer, with strength.” His eyes narrowed. “Where did that question come from?”

  “Sorry, it’s just been something I’ve been thinking about lately.”

  “Volo, hm?” Adaman looked away. “I can’t say your fight with him is something I can wrap my head around. The power at you and your friends’ command is not something I understand. But I know people. And I know that you, Ash, have far more strength at your side than you’re willing to use. Perhaps you don’t think they’re up to the task of facing Volo again?”

  “It’s not that!” Ash protested. “I just…don’t want to lose them again. The thought of losing them… That it’d be my fault… It scares me.”

  “Such fears are only natural for a leader. But they must be tempered. And above all, you cannot let your personal feelings impede what must be done. In this case, it’s unacceptable for Volo to continue enacting his evil on Hisui, right? Put another way, Volo must be confronted and stopped, no matter the cost. But…” Adaman rested his hand on Ash’s shoulder. “It’s not a cost you alone must pay. Just as you are agonizing over the safety of your friends, they too are agonizing over your safety. You should see the way they fret over you while you’re sleeping.”

  Ash wrinkled his brows. “Right… I know that… For them too, I have to get stronger.”

  “It’s always good to alleviate your friends’ worries,” Adaman smiled. “If they don’t have to spend headspace stressing over you anymore, they can use that headspace to love you instead.”

  Ash laughed. “Are you drunk too? What’re you saying?”

  “Don’t fear battle because you’re worried about Sabrina getting hurt again.” Adaman stood up and took his tankard of wine with him. “For men like us, a battle to the death should only be used to show off our gallantry in front of beautiful women! Think on that, Ash!”

  Ash watched Adaman saunter away, and it wasn’t long before he found himself ensnared in another conversation with some of the townspeople.

  The truth is, Ash was feeling anxious about facing Volo again, but not because of his own safety necessarily, or even because he thought he’d lose again. He thought he’d masked it well enough when talking to Adaman by referring to his friends as a collective.

  But…

  Adaman saw right through. Or maybe he’d just gotten lucky.

  Ash did not want to see Sabrina get hurt again.

  After he attacked her, I tried to kill him. It’d been instinctual. He hadn’t even realized until he replayed the battle in his mind later, but right after Volo threw Sabrina into that rock, Ash had fired off a shaft of electricity that would have ended Volo’s life if he hadn’t shielded himself from it. At least later on, when he used Three Heavenly Bolts, he’d been composed enough to ensure the attack would only maim him, which it had.

  But I completely lost control after he hurt Sabrina. It wasn’t just a reaction to seeing one of my friends get hurt. Hatred for him and fear for her boiled up inside me in an instant. A terrifying amount, when I think back on it.

  Completely disproportionate.

  It’s because it was her.

  To think she has to control emotions like that at all times… I couldn’t do that.

  Ash sighed and rested his head on his arms. He was nineteen now, no longer the dense little brat of his younger days. Although he’d never felt this way about his numerous female traveling companions over the years, he was pretty sure he knew what this feeling was.

  He recalled her crystalline eyes. Eyes he found himself able to keep in contact with for ever-decreasing intervals before his heart started bashing against his ribcage.

  Ash smiled. “No way she feels the same way…”

  Next — Chapter 76 : One Month Later

  Originally, my plan for this chapter was to have the conversations continually splice between each other, inspired by a certain romance manga, since they’re sort of talking about similar things and coming to similar conclusions at similar times, but alas, I’m not talented enough to figure out how to make that work so this is the end product.